School board chairman backs Mike Hogan for mayor

[Jaxson]

Dear Friends,

Like many of you, I have been studying the Mayor’s race.  I believe Mike Hogan has the experience and vision to provide the mature, thoughtful and fiscally prudent leadership our city needs.

Mike thinks the mayor should pay attention to administering the City and getting our fiscal house in the best possible order.  That makes a lot of sense to me.  However, the fact Mike Hogan believes the Mayor should make sure City Hall is running efficiently and effectively does not mean he does not recognize the importance of economic development, the Port, a vibrant downtown and using the Mayor’s office to help improve our education system.  I’ve met with Mike, as some of you have, and he clearly gets all these things.

In my meetings with the candidates, I have focused on education and programs such as the Jacksonville Journey intervention and prevention initiatives.  I was very impressed with Mike Hogan’s knowledge and commitment.  He recognizes the future of our city depends upon how well we raise and educate our children.  He also recognizes the urgency of developing our economic infrastructure and preparing our children for new, highly skilled and high paying jobs.  I feel confident he will use the Mayor’s office to advocate for our children and public education.

There should be no question that Mike Hogan’s experience has well prepared him for this job and makes him, by far, the most qualified to hit the ground running (in the right direction).  Mike has close advisors like Curtis Hart, Chairman of the Jacksonville Journey Oversight Committee, who I think share Mike’s philosophy that intervention and prevention yield the highest returns on investment, while insisting government subsidized programs are effective.  We need a Mayor like Mike who can lead the Council to support programs critical to our community’s health and quality of life.

Finally, there should be no doubt whatsoever that having a Republican in the Mayor’s office is a very important factor on the national political scene.  It is critical to preserve Republican leadership in the Mayor’s office â€" assuming the person has what it takes.  Mike Hogan is that man.  I urge you to support him and get out the vote.

W. C. Gentry

Source: The Florida Times-Union
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/abel-harding/2011-05-06/mike-hogan-picks-support-school-board-chair-w-c-gentry

[mtraininjax]

Wow, I bet this hurt Harding to actually publish.

[John P]

I do not think any cares what WC Gentry thinks.

[brainstormer]

Mr. Gentry has lost all respect from me.  His work with the school board is so pompous and partisan.  In my opinion, the school board should be nonpartisan and less political.  Perhaps if we didn't pay them so well, we could get rid of the politicians on the board and find people who actually know a thing or two about quality education.  How did I ever end up in such a dysfunctional city? 

[thelakelander]

I don't have any problem with Gentry's endorsement of Hogan.  However, I wish he would have left the last statement out.  This election should be about Jacksonville, not national politics. 

[jcjohnpaint]

national political scene?

[tufsu1]

Wow, I bet this hurt Harding to actually publish.

probably as much as it did for you to type this

[Timkin]

Wow, I bet this hurt Harding to actually publish.

probably as much as it did for you to type this

No doubt.. two peas of a pod .

[billy]

Jacksonville mayoral race appears to be getting zero national coverage, mention or notice of any sorts.....

[Jimmy]

There wasn't much national interest in the Tampa mayoral race earlier this year, in which the Democrat running won.  During presidentials, they want to go on and on about the "I-4 corridor." 

I think the only national ripple we got was from Mike Hogan's abortion bombing "joke."  And some national alternative press is running stories about how crazy Kim Daniels is.

[Springfielder]

Personally, I don't give a crap about who anyone on the school board supports, I just have issue with any of them making a public statement....I find that totally inappropriate.

[tufsu1]

Personally, I don't give a crap about who anyone on the school board supports, I just have issue with any of them making a public statement....I find that totally inappropriate.

well I guess right now that each candidate has a school baord member publicly supporting them

[Timkin]

lovely.  That must make each candidate a better one .

[letters and numbers]

hey you know for what its worth i read that pratt dannals was at the alvin brown rally in the park last week

[BillM33]

Gentry reveals his true motives in the last line. It's important for a Republican to have the job in 2012, to help funnel votes to the Obama opponent. Not that that will really guarantee anything, but that's what is happening here, folks trying to make a local race into a microcosm of the next presidential race. But it doesn't really fit; Brown is no Obama policy-wise (more conservative, both fiscally and socially), and Hogan is no Tea Partier (in fact, he seems like someone who the Tea Party would be running AGAINST if this were another race; a career politician who's served the last few years as tax collector?)